I know it is very early to be thinking about this, but I am back at work and really not wanting to be here...So what does TKP think are realistic expectations for Hokie Football for the 2018 season?
2018 Schedule:
9/3: @FSU
9/8: William & Mary
9/15: ECU
9/22: @ODU
10/6: Notre Dame
Home ACC: GT, Miami, BC, UVA
Away ACC: @Duke, @UNC, @Pitt
I think the schedule shakes out pretty well for us overall with the obvious highlights being FSU on Labor Day and Notre Dame making it's first visit to Lane.
Couple of things that stood out to me:
1. Quick turnaround from FSU to William and Mary gives me flashbacks to JMU post Boise St, but I don't see us having any issues with dispatching William and Mary.
2. Big Division games (GT and Miami) are both at home for us so hopefully that bodes well. Really hoping Fuente can finally get a win over GT and get that monkey off of his back.
3. With the Coastal being down this past year our toughest road division game looks to be Pitt at Heinz, but I wouldn't be surprised to see both UNC and Duke bounce back and be much improved next year as well.
Tough to make a prediction without knowing what will happen in the offseason, but I'm predicting another 9-3 regular season with losses coming to FSU, Notre Dame, and Miami. I would love to be proven wrong here but my gut feeling is that Hooker wins the starting job in fall camp and then the lights for his first start @FSU are just a little too bright. Overall I am looking forward to seeing if the young receivers are able to make a jump with a year of experience under their belt and if we can have a more consistent rushing attack. Like most of you, the bowl game (while disappointing)left me optimistic about the future (especially on offense). We were able to go toe to toe and even outgain one of the most prolific offenses in the country. I am looking forward to seeing the offense hopefully make another jump in year 3 of the Fuente era as he seems to be bringing in more and more athletes that will fit his system. To me the defense is pretty well a known quantity, with Bud being able to replace starters and still maintain a Top 25 unit, so I'm not overly concerned there.
So TKP, what do you expect for the 2018 season?
Comments
15-0 BRO!
But seriously, I will hold off a real prediction until we hear who is coming back. I do think the schedule looks good if we are playing at a high level. I first need to see who is playing QB, DT, both LB spots, and FS. If Hooker can win the QB job early in camp, I might make that 10, but ultimately I think we are still about 2 years from really making any noise in the ACC.
Im counting 8 wins (W&M, Duke, UNC, Pitt, ECU, ODU, BC, UVA) 3 50/50's (FSU, Notre Dame, GT) and 1 that I think we'll lose (Miami).
While I respect your view on Miami, since we have them at home I am hoping they get Curb Stomped.
I think Miami is closer to a 50/50, just as it was going into the game this year. Clemson this year was a 'probable loss'.
FSU being on the road with their starting QB back will be really tough.
Flip your positions for da U and FSU and I think you're spot on. GT will be interesting as well but I think we get the W at Lane.
I think we'll lose to Miami, but FSU and ND are toss-ups. Could be 9-3, but probably will be 10-2. Could be 11-1 if things set up well.
I think we beat FSU to start the season. Miami will be the toughest game on the schedule. ND is a 50/50 game. We will eventually have a season where we stop losing games we should win (GT this year, Cuse last year) but I don't think that happens next year. I think we go 9-3 in the regular season again just due to the youth on offense still and potential losses on defense to the draft.
Except for maybe UCF this year, every team lost a game they should have won. It is what makes college football so exciting (when watching other teams) and makes is want to jump off a building (when it happens to our team).
That is a valid argument but there are many teams through the years that lose the games they are expected to, win the ones they expect to win and have a good, 11 or 10 win season. Losing against ND and beat GT hurts a lot less that beating ND and losing to GT. Top tier teams don't consistently lose to a mid pack conference team each year which I think is our next biggest hurdle to overcome. That will come with experience and depth in an established system Fuente is putting together.
Yet Clemson has two years in a row. Urban Meyer teams have going all the way back to Florida. I contribute it mostly to the fact that the top dogs always have a target on their back. Games where they let off a little bit are games the inferior opponent has circled. With that said, I am confident in Fuente and the 1-0 mentality. As the roster improves, I think we will be a force in the ACC and hopefully the stars can align for a NC hunt.
I honestly dont fear FSU. Maybe I should but getting them early with a new coaching staff bodes well for us. I can very easily see that being a win.
Getting Miami at home is nice and after seeing their return to "backness" at the end of the season, I think their performance against us this year has lost a little of its luster.
ND can suck an egg.
I'll call it 10-2 with a loss to either FSU/Miami and one to either Pitt/GT
I agree on FSU. Mainly because it is the first game of the season. If it were later in the year, I'm not so positive on a win. With Francois coming back after missing the year and a new coaching staff, I think it takes them a few games to get things right.
FTFY.
Super Bowl or bust
Bold.
I think we're likely to lose at least one home game probably coming at the hands of ND or Miami. That being said, I'm not sold I Miami - yes, they have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball, but barring ridiculous turnovers and poor execution, we should have beat them this year.
Obviously a lot depends on who comes back on defense. We have a lot of returning talent on offense as well as adding a lot of talent. Echoing early comments in the recruiting threads I think Turner will have an immediate impact and I can't wait to see Farely scorch defenses this year.
4-0 going into the ND game. I save the rest until the ACC schedule is laid out
I see at least a 9-3 regular season, I don't think we can hang with Notre Dame even if it's at home, and we'll lose to either Miami, GT or a random away ACC game. It's hard to go 4-0 on the road in ACC play.
It depends a lot on who comes back on defense and even more so on the QB position, but I see Jackson keeping it.
I think the early departure on Defense that would be hardest to replace would be Tim. We have good athletes at LB and always seem to find talent at DB so those don't worry me as much, but Tim and Ricky creating havoc on the inside was to me the highlight of the defense this year.
As far as Jackson keeping the job, I can definitely see that happening, just think you have more upside in the athleticism of Hooker so I'd like to see him starting sooner rather than later. But if Jackson does keep the job, it will be interesting to see how he does as our first multi-year starter in Fuente's system and if he can make a big jump in performance as well.
I agree losing Tim would be the biggest gap to fill on defense. I think this year of experience for Jackson and the off season will have him much improved next year. He and the coaching staff know what he needs to work on all off season so that will lead to jump in productivity IMO. I would not be shocked if Hooker supplants him at QB1 next fall but I think JJ will be the guy.
I really like that FSU will be breaking in a new coaching staff over the spring/summer and they weren't exactly world beaters this past season. They will likely be really dangerous later in the season, but I'm hopeful that we can get our crap together better than them in time for the labor day kickoff.
Also really like that we won't have to play Miami or GT in early September. I think some tune-up games will be necessary.
On a side note, it looks like we only have 3 true road games this year (FSU, ECU, and Pitt). We always "travel" well to Duke and UNC (quotes because it seems we pack it with hokies from the triangle so travel seems like a stretch) and I suspect we will dominate the stands at ODU.
Anyway, I see our three high profile homes games as coin tosses: ND, UM, GT. No reason we shouldn't be able to beat GT at home, but since they officially are on a streak against us, I have to call it a toss up. Call FSU on the road one, too and we're looking at anywhere from 12-0 to 8-4. I'll say we take two of ND, UM, GT, and FSU to finish 10-2.
Oh yeah, and there's a new release of the decade of dominance. I hear there are some kickass new features in version 1.5
The ECU game is actually in Blacksburg, giving us seven home games for the year. Considering that games at ODU, UNC, and Duke will have a siginificant percentage of Hokie faithful in attendance, and that playing at Pitt always entails an empty stadium, the only tough environment we will face in the coming season is at FSU on Labor Day night.
Updated above. Thanks! Not sure why I can't read sometimes.
9/3: @FSU - W (Hopefully the offseason turnover means this team isn't 100% prepared because they're talented and Taggart will keep the recruiting train rolling)
9/8: William & Mary - W (While I agree with your concerns, I don't think W&M will be much of a challenge)
9/15: @ECU - W (Pirates are terrible, man has this program fallen off)
9/22: @ODU - W (ODU wasn't a good team last year, 5-7 with their only 'impressive' win coming @ FIU)
10/6: Notre Dame W - (ND is losing quite a bit of talent to graduation, I think this ends up being a close win)
Home ACC:
GT L - (Paul Johnson has Fuente's number)
Miami L - (Not sure if Miami is 'back' but a lot of talent is certainly returning next year)
BC W - (BC is likely an improved team next year but don't see them as a major threat)
UVA W - (Doubt this is a shutout again, especially with their most recent QB transfer's running ability but we'll get to 15 in a row)
Away ACC:
@Duke W (Duke was a weird team in '17 with bad losses to UVA and FSU but decent wins over GT and Wake - but they don't scare me)
@UNC W (Whipping UNC gives me great joy, I expect a repeat in 2018)
@Pitt W (Fuente takes full advantage of their new DC)
Overall: 10-2
This is optimistic, but I don't see us losing more than a couple other games (FSU/ND are most concerning of the games I've marked as a W) so the floor is set at 8-4. Good thing our toughest games outside of FSU are at home.
especially with their most recent QB transfer
who'd they get?
Some guy named Bryce Perkins from Yuma (Ariz.) Arizona Western College.
I was at the NJCAA national championship game in which he played. The kid has some serious wheels and escapability but was very inconsistent in the pocket, and throwing on the run. At time, the backup came in on passing plays. He plays like Bronco's QB's at BYU. Overall, no need to worry.
I predict:
Beer? Ok I agree
Bryce Perkins from Arizona State
http://www.richmond.com/sports/college/schools/university-virginia/uva-g...
247 Profile
Seems to me we are a year or two from hitting on all cylinders, but I predict the coastal gets decided in Blacksburg next year.
FSU will be dangerous, but given I think VT has a decent chance at that one. Really does depend on whether VT has a potent offense, and who would really know that at this point?
And since then, we've had quick turnarounds after GT with Austin Peay (2012), Ohio State with Furman (2015), and WVU with Delaware (2017). Can we please get over this monkey on the back?
What monkey?
Pretty much as always I'm hype for next year.
QB: JJ, another year to grow. I'm a big fan of what he can become as only a Soph.
RB: McClease was so good down the stretch, along with Holston thats a good 1-2.
WR: Savoy, Kumah, Grimsley and Patterson all get more experience, oh and we get Farley back.
TE/HB: Idk about y'all but I'm all in on Keane. Give him a year in the weight room... watch out.
OL: We will miss Teller and Gallo, but there's a lot of bodies in that room unlike in previous years. Hopefully a couple take a step forward.
DL: If 4-8 both come back... thats scary for any team we face.
LB: We probably lose Tremaine, but we've recruited heavily there and Im excited about Rivers.
DB: This is the question mark. We lose a lot here, especially if Edmunds leaves with his brother. But in DBU I trust.
I'll say 10-2 with a Coastal Championship. Losses to ND and a road ACC game that we shouldn't lose.
Don't forget Hazelton at WR. Coaches really liked him this year he had to sit out.
I think Terrell Edmunds stays and helps our secondary depth.
That WR room is going to be super competitive, I'm hopeful that leads to some serious production.
Let's hope a bunch of these guys can block well down field. I was really impressed with the WR blocking in the playoff games......we need us more of that!!
I know a lot of people are scared about Tim leaving but I just don't see it. He projects well, but as of right now he only has one true starting season under his belt and isn't one of the more talked about DTs in the draft. Even if there is some buzz, we have all seen how that can work out (Kendall, Bucky, Isaiah) and I don't think it's worth the risk. Unless he hears back saying he will be taken early I don't see him leaving. He hasn't played a whole lot of football, has stayed healthy, and could stand to make substantially more money by coming back for another year to get drafted higher. Looking at the current lot of DTs in the draft, he would be very lucky to get picked up late in the third round. Most of this logic applies to Adonis as well.
Tremaine I am obviously scared about. He will almost certainly be a 1-2 rounder but the only reason I could see him coming back is he is very young, his family is well off and there is no immediate financial need, and because Terrell will probably stay to increase his draft stock as well. If they want to play together next year I think they will stay because if Terrell leaves, he will get picked up in the very late rounds at best.
So I spoke to a #sauce recently who said he hasn't heard Tim say for sure one way or the other however he did say that if he had to guess he would give it an even 50/50 chance. He said on one end that Tim is really ready to be done with school and may jump even if his draft grade isn't as high as he may hope. On the other end he said that Timmy does have important people in his ear who have been encouraging him to stay. Those voices of course could get stronger or weaker depending on his draft grade though.
I have also heard that he really is not a fan of school and I can see that as a reason he goes even if his draft grade isn't good. I just don't think he will get back anything saying he will go in the first two days which is basically the NFL saying stay in school. To be clear, I will support whatever he decides and I am not one to get mad at a player for making the decision they feel is best for them. I just get scared when guys leave when it might be a little bit too early making it a lot harder on themselves to succeed in the long run.
As long as I get to see him dance around the backfield after a sack of TFL, I don't care what uniform he's wearing.
I agree with you and I hope they do come back it will make for an interesting season if they can stay healthy and will benefit them as well.
So who does everyone think will go to the draft and where do you think they will be picked
I think Wyatt will go somewhere in the 4th round. He's a solid prospect but guards aren't as valuable as tackles. Besides Tremaine, who will be late 1st or early 2nd if he goes, he is the best prospect we have. Cam, Brandon, and Greg I think will all go somewhere 6-7 if teams like something about them. Each of them have attractive skill sets and could be a good fit but aren't guys that absolutely have to be taken. If Tim, Terrell, and Adonis go I think they will be 5th round at best. Adonis and Tim project pretty well but both could benefit A LOT from another year in school and most teams won't take that big of a risk.
Overall, I think Tremaine is the only one that has a really good reason to leave early. I am not entirely sure that he will (see above) but he is the only one that actually should based on his draft stock.
Cam will go 4th-5th round, but both Greg and Brandon our 5-7 round picks. Tim is gonna end up 3-4 round after he shows out at combine. Adonis is a wildcard, he has prototyical size but lacks a little speed and isn't as refined. But he could get nabbed in 2nd or 3rd round for teams needing a big physical corner.
I don't see Cam going 4th-5th when you have Isaiah going in the 7th last year. The biggest knock on Isaiah was his lack of pure speed which Cam doesn't have either. Cam has great short area quickness and is a smart player but athletically isn't close to Isaiah so I think that's a bit high.
To be fair to your point, I also am low balling these guys because in the past I have seen Tech players fall a lot further than fans and pundits a like thought they would. I agree Adonis would be a wildcard if he goes but his lack of recovery speed could really hurt him. I could see him going that high if his only knock was that he isn't very refined, but the lack of speed is gonna hurt even more IMO.
Stroman should go higher than that. But he doesn't have the current trend CB size. He has the speed though, and the coverage ability of a 2-4th round corner.
I love Stro's game and he can certainly help a team on special teams, but his measurable's are going to hurt him at the combine. He is going to run a good, but not great 40 time for a CB there and he will be well under 200lbs. I would say 5-7th round.
I wouldnt sleep on FSU in their house.. but I do think we can win there.
The rest of the schedule looks very winnable too. I see at least 1 loss to a team we should beat and another tough loss in the 50/50 games.
10-2.
I agree. FSU is a lot more talented than their record this year. I don't think it can be overstated how much losing Francois hurt their team. I think it is winnable in their house, but not the likely W that most people are saying on this thread. We really have to hope Taggart is not able to get them firing on all cylinders after a spring and summer.
I think it can and has been overstated. Sure, losing Francois hurt. But they were preseason #3. That was not a top 5 team with or without Francois. They might've won 8 or 9 games instead of going 6-6 but it remains to be seen how good Francois really is.
I wasn't saying that they were a top 5 team. I just think they are better than us and if we played them this year to start the season, I would say that we probably would have lost.
Those are two separate thoughts though. the first being that they were simply overranked in the preseason which is a common occurrence. The second is that losing their starting QB greatly affected their performance. They are independent.
I don't know... I imagine if you were a preseason #3 team with playoff aspirations and you lose your first two games and your QB goes down a lot of guys on that team are going to check out
I think expectations will escalate from now until the February Signing day, when they will crash hard. In about a month they will start building again until we get huge a surge after the Spring Game. They will slowly grow unsteady as we approach Labor Day, at which they will either sky rocket or become mixed with anger and angst. Through the season they will fluctuate wildly, until we end somewhere around 8-10 wins.
Really though, I while I would like to see us in the ACC Championship again, I am not sure I can say I expect us to be there. While I was hoping we would be ready to compete for a NY6 this year when we hired coach FU, that also seems like a best case scenario, not a realistic expectation.
For some reason that pattern sounds really familiar...
We just had another thread talking about how crappy Notre Dame is, yet many are predicting that game as a loss for VT, or a coin toss.
I sense a disconnect.
8-4 or 9-3. We'll lose to Miami, win a game that we're not supposed to win and lose a couple that we were supposed to win. Will go to a second-tier bowl and probably will lose unless our opponent is grossly less talented than us.
I'm not being sarcastic or pulling the reverse jinx, if you will. I'm not high on us making another step next year.
Claiming that you aren't pulling a reverse jinx is called a reverse anti-inverse jinx and actually has the same effect as a reverse jinx.
You are supposed to say 0-15.
Deleted. Cause I'm silly.
I think all games on the schedule are winnable depending on what defensive personnel returns.
I'm not predicting an undefeated season at all, but the only team on our schedule that has proven to be unbeatable is GT. 0-2 under the Fuente regime against the fighting chop blockers.
No way Fuente and Foster lose that game in 2018. You heard it here first. (Unless you already heard it somewhere else?)
GT goes down in 2018. No way Paul Johnson pulls off 3 in a row. 85% chance of winning.
Assuming everything goes wrong, floor at 7-5 (losses to FSU, GT, Miami, Pitt, and BC).
Assuming we have some losses due to NFL or injury, my prediction is about 8-4 (count BC as a win, same other losses as above).
If we're extremely lucky and all the key pieces return healthy in addition to some early contributions from the freshmen, I could see us going 10-2 or even 11-1. I think Miami is going to be tough regardless. With a healthy 2017 squad + better than expected contributions from new recruits, no one on the schedule really causes me concern. I just don't think we'll see that level of returning talent unfortunately.
I will never even consider a loss to a Scot Loeffler coached BC team. Losing to us every year was a part of his contract that allowed him to go coach at a school we play every year. #InWhitWeTrust
Whether you consider it or not doesn't really impact the probability of the event. I think they could be decent enough to beat us if we don't show up. I highly doubt it happens, that's why it's in the "if everything goes wrong category".
If we lose to those teams (losses to FSU, GT, Miami, Pitt, and BC), I don't see how we beat ND.
Annual Lane Stadium advantage we usually take advantage of at least once a season. I guess to make folks happy we can change out BC in my OP and insert ND.
I can't answer this until January 15th, where we know who's going pro and who's staying.
The season will be a disappointment if we lose to all 3 of FSU, ND, Miami. Don't mistake that for me thinking Fuente needs to be fired or anything, but at some point you need to show up to and win those types of games and Year 3 sure feels like a reasonable time to expect it.
ND and Miami are both at home - tough games, but I expect to split those.
FSU on the road will be a challenge, but given all the unknowns (first game of the season, new coach who is known for rebuilds, losing some players to the draft, star QB coming back after a year long injury), it's just a tough game to call.
1-11 and then we get the #1 overall draftpick
No, you are thinking of my Redskins.
It makes sense the Redskins would just forfeit the rest of their schedule after 12 games...
Being unable to comprehend a loss to UVA even in a doomsday/tanking scenario. I admire that.
Leg for seeing what I did there
Without knowing who will be there, in what roles, all I can say is:
If the team can eliminate some/most of the "stumbles", the sky is the limit, which can be said for many teams. However, I'd be curious of the stat line for TDs or big plays overturned for a hold/illegal formation or other stupid penalty. Or the overthrows and dropped passes for players completely wide open. Oddly enough, I think we came away with a decent amount of contested balls.
With, for the most part, a returning team that has a year of playing time together, and plenty of time for rhythm to develop, I think we can win all our games next year. Can...
I think BC and ND (Book played really well when he came in the bowl game) found mobile QBs. If Bud can't figure out how to shut those down then a 6 win season (losses to FSU, Miami, ND, BC, GT, and either Duke or UNC because we always lose a game we shouldn't) may be the actual floor next year.
If JJ can get in better shape and really dedicate himself in the off-season then I think our offense can be significantly better. A lot of that relies on JJ getting quicker and becoming a real threat to run. If JJ does that, Settle stays and we can figure out the secondary, then I think we can get to 11 wins and put up a fight in conference championship.
As if Bud is the only DC that has trouble shutting down running QBs...
JJ's problem isn't that he isn't in shape. Accuracy, decision making, and experience are his biggest problems. Perhaps he can gain some more burst in the offseason, but he runs the same way in the 1st and 4th quarter, so his level of fitness is not the issue.
It'll be a cold day in hell before Loeffler beats Foster. Foster is a nightmare matchup for his BC scheme, particularly if Settle and Walker return and are healthy for that game
Good thing we are not playing today then. My wife said its cold as hell today, and its pretty cold out there.
Buying in and going with "1-0"
Way to early prediction 8-4 +/- a win. Realistically I think we lose to FSU, Miami, Notre Dame, and GT. If it's 7-5 I'd say it's one of our road ACC games, most likely Pitt, however I wouldn't sleep on BC. If we steal any of the 4 My money is on FSU or Notre Dame.
Absolutely no way will Scot Loeffler beat us. Ever.
Apparently.
More than likely you are right, but Dillon were very good last year and is surrounded by young talent I think if Brown? comes along they have the pieces to put together a good team next year.
Oh no, I completely agree with you. See above. I said this very thing about BC and the response I got (No way!) was the one I was riffing off of when I responded to you. Was trying to be funny, and failed. You have my apologies.
No worries, that's my bad should have seen that above.
I see a lot on here that appear to be exceedingly confident of beating FSU. This is silly overconfidence. While probably a toss up, if I were setting odds, I'd have us a slight underdog:
1. FSU had an obviously disappointing season, but they still have four and five star talent all over the field. Their team speed is elite.
2. The game is in Tallahassee.
3. FSU will have Francios back at QB, not a true freshman (part of the reason for last years results).
4. I have attended five VT-FSU games in my life. VT has gone 0-5 in those games. I will be at this one (I live in Tallahassee). FSU has had our number, for sure. I know that should mean nothing, but .......
The only time VT has ever beaten FSU in the modern era was 2007. That game was in Blacksburg, FSU was really down, and VT was the ACC's best that year.
This game is going to be a tough win for VT.
VT also beat FSU in the 2010 ACC Championship game.
Danny Coale is still wide open running across the middle
4. I have attended five VT-FSU games in my life. VT has gone 0-5 in those games. I will be at this one (I live in Tallahassee).
Stay home!
Fuente has never lost to FSU
So there is that.
.
.
.
of course he's never beat them either
I think the real question is: If Evans, Ford and Hodges stayed, how many wins would we have had this year?
I think we still lose to Clemson, but I'm not sure if we would have lost to them twice if you know what I mean.
Just think if we had Lawson and Harris!
Anything better than 6-6 and I am happy.
For how long? Just curious.
Edit: for the record, I didn't down vote you.
I remember the bad days. My other undergrad program (summer school) was the University of Rhode Island whose FCS team this year won more games this year (3) than I think they had in the last 5 years combined.
I am happy the bowl streak continues and the players get to experience bowls, be they Toilet or Sugar.
I am overjoyed for better season, but I want the team to at least have winning records. I did say better than 6-6.
Fair enough. Have a leg for remembering the bad times.
My expectations are much (much!) higher than +.500 seasons but I won't force that opinion on others.
I'd say 6-6 isn't acceptable for 95% of the fan base.
At least!
By and large, yes. Especially if we start the season 5-0 and then go 1-6 the rest of the way. Gotta keep that streak alive, though.
My expectations for 2018:
1) Win 10 games - it is essential that the program continues (begins) chipping away at the idea that VT is a second rate program that can't win on the big stage.
2) Improve recruiting - anyone who watched the playoffs last night was able to see just how big the talent gap is between the Hokies and the teams in the playoffs. Clever coaching and player development can only go so far.
If we went 1-11 and destroyed Georgia Tech 49-0...I would almost still be happy.
Not me, UVA is number one priority every year for me.
Then bowl qualification
Then better record
ACCCG
CFP
NC
This is the right answer.
I'd end the UVA streak to end the Clemson streak.
I seriously have to think about this one
I'm OK with ending neither...so long as Clemson doesn't win the Atlantic next year or for the next 5 years the latter won't really be applicable. So, uh, go Wake?
Strongly disagree. The UVA streak is getting into ridiculous range. It's getting to the point where UVA won't think they can win that game, no matter the how good they get or how bad we get. These things get to be self perpetuating*, and I want this to last forever.
*See Kentucky Florida this year. UF way down, UK pretty good by their standards. UK's got the ball well in field goal range, takes a couple big losses, seems like they're out of time, gets 10yds back with 2 seconds on the clock, then their kicker drills a 52 yarder right down the middle. from 54 yards out and UF's streak endures. Crying 50 year old kentucky fans everywhere. That's what I want UVA to feel when we come to town. For the rest of my life.
I respect your opinion but also still maintain my own. I have no hate for UVA football. I have never seen us lose to them and frankly I feel bad for them and am slightly embarrassed to be associated with them through our "rivalry". Clemson, however, I have seen us lose to them 3 times in person since 2011 and another 2 times on television. Every time it has been an important must win game for us and every time I get my hopes up thinking this might be the time, but so far since I've attended VT they have been our kryptonite. My all time low as a fan was at the 2011 ACC championship and hearing their stupid C-L-E-M-S-OOOOOO-N the whole second half get louder and louder. I felt like the only VT fan in the entire stadium.
Bruh...
Trust me, if we ever lose to them you will quickly rue the day you felt bad and pitied them. They will come out of the wood works and you will hear that they are better than us in every collegiate sport. I hope that day never comes.
As someone who has been following the team long enough to remember 2003, as well as when we had an active winning streak against Clemson.....you do not pity LOLUVA. Ever.
This was the key part that I missed, that had me rereading this post over and over again. Just in case I'm not the only one.
If Settle and Tremaine return: 10-2 (loses @ FSU and a close game @ Pitt)
If one of them returns: 9-3 (additional loss to Miami)
If Settle and Tremaine both leave: 8-4 (additional loss to ND)
I'm fairly optimistic. We return practically our whole offense plus Farley and Hazelton and add turner and Simmons to the WR room along with McClease and Peoples looking good in the last game. Jackson got a years worth of experience and we get 3/5 OL back so we SHOULD be much improved on offense. If Jackson does win the QB battle again that also means that CornFu should be able to run about every play in the playbook; if Jackson improves like he should, and the coaches integrate him any more into the run game (just enough to make the other team have to account for him) then I don't see why we can't win 10 games. As for defense; in bud we trust. If Hooker does happen to beat out Jackson with his 13 games worth of experience which include some huge games (WVU@ fedex, Gameday at home, and bowl game), then I think we should all be very excited bc hooker will be a hell of a QB. 9-10 wins next year. 15th over LOL
I will preface my expectations by saying that the VT offense needs to improve significantly from the last half of 2017 to contend for the ACC coastal, IMO. That is my overall premise behind my expectations- if the offense is still struggling to find a decent running game/back and go-to WR, its going to be a 6-7 win type year. In terms of specifics:
FSU- I actually like VT's chances here, unless there are self-inflicted mistakes. FSU has a new coaching staff in place, and some key guys leaving for the NFL. Blackmon doesn't scare me at all- but a healthy Francoise does- we will see where he is. A mistake-free game, I like VT.
Miami- Rozier is not nearly as good as we made him look last year- especially running the ball. Their defense will give us fits, and their running game could as well, but Rozier is not going to set the world on fire unless we help him again. VT will need a great defensive effort and some Lane stadium magic.
GT- I am not predicting a VT win here, until Fuente shows me he can beat these guys. They are in his head- he coaches differently against them, and that plays into PJs hands. If the Jackets score 24 points, they will be in good shape, unless VT gets significantly better on offense.
ND- Is Kelly smart enough and ego-less enough to line up and run it off tackle 45 times? If he is, they will win- assuming Winbush continues to develop.
Not worried at all about- ODU, UVA, UNC, ECU, or Pitt. Those are wins barring injuries, etc. BC is much better, but they don't play well in Lane typically.
I'll go 8-4 regular season until I see this offense. JJ should be better, Nijman is back, but Teller is gone, who are the big play, reliable WRs? Who is the running back that can get tough yards or scare people? Lots of offensive question marks.
This is your best, most measured take yet
so...are you giving him a pass?
no, I think dcDubs is giving the defense a pass. Maybe, I dunno there's so much pass giving it's making my head spin!
I get that!
Realistic Expectations is that we win the games where we score more points than our opponent, whoever that may be.
What I wish for is the streaks to continue and we don't take a step back.
My take:
Not completely sure why, but I'm oddly optimistic about @FSU. I'm not sold on Taggart, and even if I'm wrong it's his first game, their OL still sucks, and the QB position is unsettled. Will it be Francois, in his first game back from a major injury, Blackmon, or the rFr that is supposedly a better fit for Taggart's offense? Like the Rock says, IT DOESN'T MATTER, catching them early favors VT. On the flip side, VT under Fuente has struggled at times with uncharacteristic mistakes in big games, and playing @doak will be a challenge, so this is no gimme. Still, I'll say VT pulls out a close one. 1-0.
W&M, ECU, @ODU: Win, win, win. 4-0.
ND: Lane will surely be rocking for this one. Assuming I'm reading the schedule right and we get a bye while they play Stanford the week prior, this game is a lot closer to 50/50 than I first thought. Still, while I want to believe, until we are more consistent on O and prove we can overcome the loss of #4 on D, I say ND takes this one. 4-1.
In no particular order:
@Pitt, @UNC, BC, LOLUVA: Win, Win, Win, Win. In reality, we probably lose to Pitt, but narduzzi can eat a bag of dicks. Oh, and one of these years we're going to be wrong about LOLUVA, but it is not this year! 8-1.
@dook: Win, but a lot closer than it ought to be. 9-1.
GT: Why, oh why, must we lose to chinballs?!! 9-2. God I hate CPJ.
Miami: Despite what some have said, the turnover chain is everything that is good and right in college football. Yes, it is ridiculous, and obnoxious, and oh-so stereotypically Miami. Uncle Luke couldn't have done better himself. Loved by all 237 of Miami's fans and universally hated by EVERYONE ELSE ON EARTH, it's exactly the kind of obnoxious tradition that makes CFB awesome. Unfortunately, now that the 4-letter-network got a taste of the bakness, they're gonna talk about it incessantly, at least until Miami loses to Clemson again in the ACCCG. Sadly, while this game will be be closer than last year's, I see it ending the same way. 9-3.
Now that I write it all out, I see that I have all three losses coming at home. Damn I hope I'm wrong. Not sure that it would feel any better to lose @FSU or @Pitt (or worse, @dook), but if we lose half our home games it will definitely dampen the tailgate scene.
Obvious key factors that are not (yet) known:
- Who else besides #4 leaves early?
- Who wins the QB competition? If it's JJ, and QP looks like the real deal, does HH transfer? If it's HH, does the O regress since we're back to a first-time starter?
- Is Farley 100% back? Does his potential translate to production on the field?
- Does the OL regress? Will one of the young guys step up and surprise us?
- Can the McClease we saw against OkSt do that all day, e'ry day?
Please.
As far as the bye pre-Notre Dame, not sure if that is how it will shake out. Seems to me we could have another ACC game in that empty week, dates for those aren't out yet.
Got it. Too bad we can't put LOLUVA in that spot, it'd be the next best thing to a bye.
We can have that McClease if we play OkSt's defense every week.
I agree with you about the turnover chain. I hate it, but I LOVE to hate it. It's what's great about college football, and it's so stereotypically miami. That stupid fucking thing makes me care about miami and hate them again. It makes me feel good about wearing my orange and maroon sucks to be U shirt under my suits for miami week. It awakens the memories from 'Give it to me Roscoe!' and 4th and Logan/miami wants to talk about it and gives me goosebumps. It highlights the cultural differences between VT with our lunch pail and miami with that stupid fucking coked out piece of shit.
love. it.
I thought ODU game was switched to B'burg because there new stadium is not built.
I believe it was, I have heard rumors of 7 home games next year. Almost like we are in the SEC or something.
Playing the ODU game in Blacksburg would make 8 home games. W&M, ECU, Notre Dame, Miami, GT, BC, and UVA are already scheduled home games.
Add to that, Duke and UNC are practically home games...
I think we're an 8 win team next year. I'm not sold on the offense improving enough to cover the drop off in defense. Teams are going to run all over us at the beginning of the season with Settle leaving and two new linebackers. Hopefully Porcher can gain some mass and step up his play or we are screwed at DT. Starting two true sophomores at LB isn't exactly a recipe for success either. This is where losing Beckett really hurts. If Maine had stayed, it would have allowed us to swing Rivers over to Mike (where I think he's better suited anyways) and then let Tisdale marinate a year under Maine before he takes over in '19. I'm confident in our safety play with DD and Floyd back there, but honestly the combo of AA and Webb scares me with AA's tendency to give up the big play and Webb's inexperience in 1A football. The two deep of Hill-Gaines, Ty-Proctor/Debose has the potential to be explosive from a pass rush standpoint, but I have serious reservations about them holding up in the run stopping department.
Offense will look more like the second half of 2017 than the first half until our young receivers start blocking better downfield and stop dropping critical passes. Fuente's offense is more reliant on good blocking from the receivers than people realize and that's what really held us back from having any sort of semblance of an explosive running game. I think we have the potential for a more downfield passing game as long as we see WVU JJ rather than OSU JJ. I'm very high on Hazelton and Grimz next year and Savoy has the chance to be a stud. Turner will do less than people think his freshman year but Farley will be able to at least provide a downfield threat that we haven't had since god knows when. From left to right, my OL would look like this: Yosh, Chung, Hoyt, Pfaff, Plantin. We lose some push but that's the best pass blocking line that we've had since the Tyrod days. I like the rotation of Clease and Peoples with Holston sprinkled in. I think we saw how useful those three can be at the end of this past year. We'll run the ball better simply due to having a more set game plan there. As always, a lot of it will come down to QB play. I'm of the mind set that we should let HH take his lumps next year, especially because I think it will be somewhat of a down year. He simply elevated the ceiling of the offense with his arm and his mobility. JJ will be improved next year, but his potential is just so much lower than Hooker's
Long story short, I think we lose to FSU, ND, Miami and then our annual head scratcher. Until Fuente proves that he can make us look even competitive in a big game, I will unfortunately always pick us to lose them.
2019 though, look out.....
Did I miss that Maine announced he's declaring? Or are we just assuming? (I think he will go, but I hadn't heard definitively.)
He is going to stay, get his degree and then go with his brother in next years draft.
This is the rumor I have heard and I really really really hope it is true. Would be nice to add a Butkus award winner to Tech's resume.
All indications are that both he and Rell are throwing their hat into the NFL ring
I really hope you are wrong.
I just can't find a scenario in my head where it makes sense for Maine to stick around other than he wants to stay in college because it's fun to be the biggest fish in the pond and surrounded by college chicks.
The only thing I can imagine would be the difference between 1st and 2nd round signing bonuses. With Maine being projected in the late 1st/early 2nd, he could want to solidify himself as a sure-fire 1st rounder.
With that said, they're both going pro.
Did you miss the ACC Championship game against Clemson?
The season opener against WVU?
Camping World Bowl against OSU?
It's a fallacy to say Fuente hasn't made us look competitive in big games.
ACC Championship is the only example of us playing up in a big game. In case you missed it, WVU was a 7-6 football team this year. We were down by two scores for the majority of the second half against OSU and made multiple critical mistakes that cost us the game. To date the biggest win of his tenure is against a 8-4 Miami team.
I love Fuente and still have faith that he's the right guy, but more often than not we have made massive critical mistakes in big moments in the big games. Look at Bristol, Clemson and Miami this year, Oklahoma State, etc. Generally, we have made uncharacteristic errors in the bigger games. Maybe "competitive" was too strong of a word, but thus far, he has proven zero times that he can win a big game, despite 4 or 5 prime opportunities to do so. In fact, only one of those games (ACCCG) has been particularly close. Until this trend reverses, you have to believe that this will be the norm.
Agreed. As was mentioned earlier this season, I think the honeymoon with Fuente is over. That is not saying he's not the right guy, we need to fire him, etc. But I think the initial period of being infallible and unable to do any wrong has come to pass now. Other than the ACCCG, we have looked outclassed when the bright lights are on. From a talent perspective as well as critical execution errors. He was hired as a coach with an excellent offensive background to come fix that side of the ball and help us get over the hump. Talent and depth are issues still, but the offense at times looked unbelievably inept this year. I personally think Fuente chose to play as conservatively as possible on offense this year in an effort to limit mistakes and rely on the defense. Starting to sound eerily familiar. That won't cut it moving forward in the ACC, and the talent and execution on offense MUST improve drastically moving forward, especially considering the defense may not be able to carry the team in the first half of next year due to key personnel losses.
Still love Fuente, but as I said in another thread, it's time to start seeing the fruits of his recruiting efforts and offensive prowess next year. Playing it conservative vs going with the higher upside and ceiling may end up defining the QB competition.
WVU lost three of those games after Grier went down. The other three were to top 25 teams, two by one possession.
I just don't buy the argument that players making mistakes (fumbles, dropped passes, missed field goals) is somehow the coaches fault and should be held against in terms of not being able to win the big games. We don't fumble five times, we beat Tennessee. We don't fumble on the goal line against OSU, we probably beat them. I just think it's easy to say that he hasn't won a big game when we were not favored to win any of them.
Our biggest games to date have been against teams that have had a clear talent advantage. I think it's unfair, although true we haven't won a big game if you don't count WVU, to consider this a negative trend when the results were expected? Once the shelves are stocked with equally or greater talented teams, then he needs to produce which I think the first fair year to judge this is 2019.
Just because they lost to good teams doesn't make them a good team. At the end of the day, you are what your record says you are, and WVU was only one game above .500. IMO playing them was not a big game looking back on the season.
If those mistakes happen one time, then I agree it's on the players. But it's been a trend in almost all of Fuente's big games so far and that needs to come back on the coaches mentally preparing their team for moment. Five fumbles against UT, broken coverage/Mcmillians's fumble/Murphy's caused interception against Clemson, Savoy's fumble right before half/Floyd's mistakes against Miami, Peoples' fumble/JJ's overthrows against OSU. These were all errors that happened during critical moments of the game that we rarely saw in other games. Again, there was 1/5 "big" games during Fuente's tenure where these errors didn't happen. For some reason, this team has shat the bed under the bright lights more often than not. That's a coaching issue.
Could also be an experience issue.
id even throw in the blown coverage's and fumbles/ bad snaps on 4th down in the GT game as well. i have to agree with you. weve seen the the same mistakes over and over in tight contest. that is a trend that needs to stop. ASAP if we want to go from okay/pretty good to the next level of the 10+ plus wins.
Eventually though you gotta start winning some of those you aren't favored in. That's how you get where we all want to go
That is also a good way to start being favored in more games.
Exactly. The program will never take the step that we all want if lose almost every game that we aren't favored in or that we are less talented than. There will always been 10-20 programs across the country that are far more talented than VT. In order to beat those teams, we need to be more disciplined and more well coached. Against those more talented teams, this has not been the case. That's what has scared me so far.
For argument's sake, let's say we have played in six big games against teams that are equally as or more talented than VT in Fuente's tenure so far: UT, ACCCG, WVU, Clemson, Miami, OSU. In 4/6, we made critical mistakes and errors (horribly timed turnovers, penalties, blown assignments, etc.) and overall looked like we were underprepared and out coached. Out of those six teams, I think WVU was the only one that didn't have a pretty major talent advantage, and that's the only one that we managed to win. If we want to jump back into the top tier of college football, we'll have to beat those teams that are more talented than we are on a more regular basis, similar to what Clemson did from '11-'14 or so. With marquee wins comes increases in recruiting, which makes it easier to win those big games with more regularity.
Honestly I'm not sure why this happens. I think we can all agree that Fuente is an extremely talented X' and O's guy, but for some reason we just don't seem prepared in these games.
Clemson from '11-'14 also tells a story of them losing to USCe and FSU almost every year. Lone win in that period over FSU against true freshman backup QB Clint Trickett in '11, and lone win over USCe in '14 over a terrible USCe team who Spurrier left the team in the middle of the season.
That said, I do agree their home win over Georgia in 2013, BCS bowl win over tOSU same year, and 2012 LSU CFA bowl win did help elevate the program and get them over the hump, but it was a slow process and as someone who lives in upstate SC, their fans were kind of feeling the same pain we were. They were hopeful every year only to feel like they could never get over the FSU/USCe hump. This of course all changed in 2015 when the recruiting and trusting the process finally really started to pay off.
They also beat Auburn, FSU, and VT twice in '11 when we were the class of the conference. Losing to the GT's and NC State's of the world have much less of a negative impact when you're able to steal some from the big dogs.
Overall, I completely agree with you, just pointing out that from their perspective, they felt like they weren't getting over the hump either. It's very clear to see in hindsight, but they had a lot of the same feelings we did, even with winning a few big games.
I am hopeful that when we field a QB for more than a single season some of these things get cleaned up.
Same goes for recruiting... which is the real ceiling for the VT program, not coaching.
That doesn't mean we weren't competitive in big games. WVU ended up being mediocre but it was undeniably a big game at the time (and they're probably a 9 win team with a healthy Grier). Thursday night Miami in primetime was absolutely a big game and we destroyed them. Clemson and Miami games weren't great this year, but we lost because they were great teams while we worked through what was always going to be a rebuilding year, there certainly wasn't any lack of fight and we had realistic shots in those games deep into the second half. The idea that our team doesn't get up for big games or can't win those games is absolutely absurd.
Totally disagree with you. I define big games as games that further the program by winning. Not sure WVU did that at all. That Miami team last year was not a good team despite their #20 ranking at the time, and other than being a Thursday night game, was no bigger than the UNC or Pitt (also Thursday night) games. If that was a 330 Saturday game then we wouldn't talk about it the same. Those are the types of games that we need to win almost every time.
UT, both Clemson's, and Miami this year were prime time Saturday night games with all of the hoopla that we could possibly want. OSU was the first bowl game between ranked teams of the season. You can't tell me that we looked remotely as prepared and ready to play as the other team in 3/5 of those games, and debatably 4/5. In fact if you total up the penalties and turnovers (the two main indicators of how prepared a team is) in those five games it breaks down like this:
Penalties
VT - 29 for 352 yards
Opp. - 28 for 231
Turnovers
VT - 16!!!!!
Opp. - 5
Combined score
VT-112
Opp.-176
Average score
VT-22.4
Opp.-35.2
Throw in WVU (the one team that we didn't have an obvious talent disparity against) and those numbers become:
Penalties
VT - 34 for 386 yards
Opp. - 37 for 312
Turnovers
VT - 16!!!!!
Opp. - 6
Combined Score
VT-143
Opp.-200
Average Score
VT-23.8
Opp.-33.3
I wouldn't consider an average of losing by two scores very competitive. And you can make the inexperience or youth excuse all you want, but 9 of those 16 turnovers were cause by either an upperclassman or a player with at least a year of starting experience. Again, when it's a one time thing, then it can be considered an anomaly or an off night. When there's a consistent trend, then it's obvious that there is an institutional issue.
First off, turnovers is a terrible metric for preparedness, they're as much luck as anything else.
Second that Miami team last year was a very good team. They were 9-4, 17th in Massey composite, 14th in S&P+, 10th in FEI, choose whatever metric you like. You can't discount it just because it doesn't fit your narrative. We whipped a top 20 team in primetime in a game that was instrumental in winning the division.
And if your idea is that we don't prepare for "big" games, it doesn't matter how WVU ended up doing, it matters what it was going into the game. And a primetime game against a ranked rival who won 10 games the year before and featured one of the most hyped QBs in the country is undoubtedly a big game. So there's two big wins already.
But even if we look at your 5 games, where do we look unprepared?
I get that people are antsy about not beating the elite teams, but it takes time and we've absolutely shown up on big stages.
Not chiming in on anything else than to say that research has shown that fumble recoveries are random and very luck-driven. Having said that, however, not all fumbles are created equal and having bad snaps, jacked up mesh points, and muffed punts turn into turnovers may point to poor preparation. Those are basic focus/execution kinds of things.
Yes losing each of five fumbles may be statistically absurd, but the improbability of the outcome doesn't inherently negate the process that led to that potential outcome in the first place.
That's a really good point, turnovers don't equal lack of preparedness, but they could be an indicator to look closer. That said, I have a hard time believing our team wasn't prepared to snap a ball correctly or navigate a mesh point. I think that just points to young players making mistakes.
FWIW, I actually think Miami was a better and much more dangerous team last year than their team this year, with a significantly better offense than this year. The ACC was just a much tougher conference last year than this year and their defense was more opportunistic.
I disagree with your sentiment on turnovers being a terrible metric. There's a reason why Fuente emphasized it in practice so much after the UT game. A man much smarter than both of us constantly preaches and practices limiting turnovers, which means I'm pretty sure he would agree that you can prepare against them.
In my eyes, there are sides to being prepared: 1) knowing your schemes and game plan inside and out and practicing them enough to where there are minimal execution errors 2) being prepared for the moment and not letting it get to you by doing too much or getting too excited/hyped up when your number is called. Take the UT game for example (if I can't discount the Miami game then you can't discount this game for your narrative). The first fumble was also on a failed mesh point between Jerod and CJ Carroll. The snap seemed to come a little too late and Jerod had to hurry the and off and it wasn't clean. That's a lack of timing (preparedness) and execution and that comes back on the coaches. Cam's fumble you could argue that he was trying to do a little too much and was loose with the football. That's not being prepared for the moment.
What about Henri Murphy hearing footsteps and turning his head before he catches the ball that resulted in that pick 6? You could very easily tell that he was flustered and amped up when that ball bounced off his head and I'm pretty confident he would make that play against ODU or Delaware. Or Savoy being situationally unaware and trying to do too much by putting two hands on the ball before being tackled in the red zone. And again, looking at these on an individual play or game-by-game basis doesn't paint the whole story. Turnovers are random when taken out of the context of a season or group of seasons, but when they consistently happen in big spots during big games, then it's a problem and there's a reason for that.
We're definitely going to disagree on this, which is fine. That's the beauty of a message board. It's ok to criticize the coaches guys. This isn't directed at mogwai in particular, but a lot of people on this site seem scared to do so. I love Fuente and think he was a great hire, but there are a few things that he's either doing or not doing that are going to make it tough for us to reach the pinnacle. Every program has room for improvement and VT is certainly no different. This board is meant for discussion, both positive and negative, and at the end of the day, we all want the same thing for VT football. Disagreeing with some things that the coaching staff does or providing criticism does not mean I dislike or don't support. That's all part of the fun of being a fan.
Yeah that's fair, i'm certainly fine with disagreeing here and there's nothing wrong with that, that's what a message board is for, as you said. I just personally push back whenever, as a fanbase, we start to build narratives off of small sample sizes. And I'm certainly not afraid to criticize anyone, I just think it's easy to find reasons for a loss and people to blame, but usually the simple answer is the other team was better and the breaks didn't fall our way.
You make some good points though, I think the truth is somewhere between both of us. At any rate, it'll sort itself out on the field.
I personally think that it can be explained as follows:
We aren't where we want to be. We aren't as good as we expect to be. That's ok because it is quite clear that the effort is there, perhaps too much of it. This team feels like one that is punching above its weight class a bit, and instead of landing the power upper cut, we leave our own chin open for the overhand right. The constant overreaching can lead to errors. It's not preparedness if it only happens in the big moment. Just my two cents.
Very well said. I think sometimes we try and divert from our standard gameplan against the better teams and that limits our comfort which in turn shows up on the field. Obviously better athletes on the other side of the ball can really mess with whatever you plan for (i.e. Clemson this year), but IMO you put your young team in the best position to succeed by keeping them in their comfort zone.
Yeah, we've been competitive in like half of our big games, not bad. although WVU ended with a 7-5 record, so not too excited about that win.
It's hard to argue any of that... thanks for the breakdown. At least you ended it on a positive note!
EDIT... meant to reply to LA. I'd fix it but
Count me in for 7-5, with losses to FSU, ND, GT, Miami, and either BC or Pitt. I think early departures take a huge toll on the defense, and I don't trust the offense to develop enough this year to cover it up. I also think things look better starting in 2019.
I agree with LA and was thinking down the same lines. With new LBs, the loss of Tim, Vinny being an unknown, I think that teams who are able to run well or who have elite speed at the WR position will beat us. A more potent offense with a good running game could offset this. Using the Oklahoma state game as a barometer would be naive. Their defense is terrible.
Unless our offense takes a really big step in the right direction, I say 8-4
FSU: they are at home, have their QB back and will want to prove that last season is in the past
Miami: will be better, elite speed, nasty D that will give our offense problems
ND: Wimbush is good. All around a better and more talented team. If Kelly doesn't manage to fuck it up, they should beat us
GT: think this is 50-50 but not liking our rushing defense in this game. Our offense needs to execute better to win this game
QB play, as always, could change this. Think our floor is 7 wins. At least we aren't UVA
and:
for someone, anyone.
What's all this two new linebackers talk? Edmunds is staying. Only have to replace Motu. Both Edmund bros are staying.
#sauces say otherwise.
Straight from Mihota's mouth. Figured he would know.
A friend of mine is close with Trey. The conversation they had the other day didn't sound positive for VT.
8/9 regular season wins. That's of today. There are so many unanswered about Tech and every team on the schedule.
I expect NO LESS than 10 Ws this season. Anything under that will be (IMOP) considered a failure. The purpose of a program & team is to "improve on improving". I understand that hinges on the advancement of JJ or readiness of Hooker, the sustainability of Bud Foster's unit, the execution of the young offensive line and overall improvement of the receiving corps. Success doesn't wait for a programs situation to get better. Fortune favors the bold. DO BETTER. ZERO EXCUSES.
We probably need 2018 and 2019 flip-flopped from a development standpoint. It's hard playing FSU, Notre Dame, and Miami in the same year when there are so many question marks on both sides of the ball. The only saving grace may be we get ND and Miami at home. On a side note, how appetizing does that 2020 schedule look? I can't remember the last time we had two (potentially, depending on the state of their programs in a couple of years) huge out-of-conference games back to back like that.
Looking at next year realistically, even if we manage to win 1 out of 3 against FSU/ND/Miami I'm sure we'll cancel it out with a head-scratching loss to GT/BC/Pitt. We're probably looking at a 9-3 regular season with a chance to make it 10 wins in the bowl game. I would love to be proved wrong (in a good way), though.
Glad we open with FSU rather than having that as an October or November matchup. Get them while they're still trying to learn the Taggart system coming off the year they just had? Get a jump on them early and it could snowball in our favor.
Miami, ND, GT at home while playing in front of VT-friendly crowds at UNC and Duke? Its not often a schedule sets itself up for you to have success, but this one does. This is a schedule set up for us to win the Coastal and be in the mix for a NY6 At Large bid.